Department for Transport

Great British Railways

Lord Haworth: To ask His Majesty's Government when Great British Railways will be (1) established, and (2) fully operational.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: We are working closely with the Great British Railways Transition Team and the sector to tackle the challenges facing the railways. We are considering the best way to take forward reform, listening to a range of views, and will set out next steps in due course.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Groceries Code Adjudicator

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure the continuation of the independent Groceries Code Adjudicator; and whether they plan to extend the role to allow the adjudicator to open an investigation on their own initiative.

Lord Callanan: The Government is currently undertaking the third statutory review of the effectiveness of the Groceries Code Adjudicator in enforcing the Groceries Supply Code of Practice and is considering the results of the public consultation that ended on 11 October. The consultation sought views on a range of issues including abolishing the GCA, transferring the GCA functions to another public body and whether the GCA has sufficient powers. The Government will carefully consider the views and evidence received and our conclusions will be published and a report laid before Parliament in due course.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland: Domestic Visits

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government how many times the Minister of State for Northern Ireland has stayed overnight in Northern Ireland since his appointment.

Lord Caine: Since his appointment by the Prime Minister in October, the Minister of State has undertaken six official overnight visits to Northern Ireland. My Noble Friend will be pleased to note that the Minister travels frequently on official business.

Electric Scooters: Northern Ireland

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government whether, in the absence of a Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive, they plan to legislate to regulate the use of electric scooters in Northern Ireland.

Lord Caine: In the absence of Northern Ireland Executive ministers, the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act provides Northern Ireland civil servants with the clarity they require to take the limited but necessary decisions to maintain delivery of public services and operate in the public interest. The Act does not give the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland direction powers on specific policies, other than in relation to pressing public appointments and the requirement to set the regional rate.Legislation on Northern Ireland affairs should rightly be considered and passed by a local and accountable Northern Ireland Assembly and it remains the Government’s priority to work towards the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland.

Department for Education

Schools

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the difference between a grammar school and a foundation or voluntary school, funded by the local authority, which also selects their pupils by academic ability.

Baroness Barran: Grammar schools are the only state-funded schools permitted to select all their children by high general academic ability. There are 163 grammar schools, all of which were maintained schools in 1998 and designated as grammar schools by the Education (Grammar School Designation) Order 1998 (as amended in 1999).143 of these schools have subsequently become academy schools and are permitted to continue to select by academic ability through provisions within the Academies Act 2010 and their funding agreements.Of the 20 maintained grammar schools, 7 are community schools, 6 are voluntary aided schools, 6 are foundation schools and 1 is a voluntary controlled school.In addition, a number of state-funded schools were permitted to retain partial selection by academic ability or aptitude by provisions within the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. 40 of these schools remain partially selective.32 of them are academies and are permitted to continue to select through the aforementioned legal and funding agreement mechanisms. 8 are maintained schools, and of these 4 are foundation schools, 3 are voluntary aided schools and 1 is a community school. 31 of these partially selective schools select a proportion of their intakes by general academic ability, 2 select by ability in music, 1 by ability in technology, and 1 by ability in maths. The remaining 5 select a proportion of their intakes by aptitude[1].[1] Either a form of aptitude that would not otherwise be permitted or more than 10% by aptitude.

Schools: Attendance

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of school children that have not returned to full-time schooling following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Barran: I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 6 December 2022 to Question  HL3775.

Pupils: Females

Baroness Sugg: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to providing guidance to teachers to ensure that girls are treated sensitively and appropriately during their menstrual cycle.

Baroness Barran: From September 2020, as part of statutory health education, primary and secondary pupils should be taught about menstrual wellbeing, including key facts about the menstrual cycle and implications for health. The statutory guidance can be accessed via the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/805781/Relationships_Education__Relationships_and_Sex_Education__RSE__and_Health_Education.pdf.The department is funding access to free period products in state-funded primary schools, secondary schools and colleges in England. Our guidance states that teachers should work with their pupils on determining which products to order and how these should be distributed. Guidance for period products can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/period-products-in-schools-and-colleges/period-product-scheme-for-schools-and-colleges-in-england#overview%20Period%20product%20scheme%20for%20schools%20and%20colleges%20in%20England%20-%20GOV.UK%20(www.gov.uk).

Mental Health Services: Children in Care

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government whether, and if so how, they track the mental health outcomes of care-experienced children and young people.

Baroness Barran: The department is working closely with other government departments to increase our ability to track many aspects of care-experienced children’s outcomes, including their physical and mental health.Statutory guidance is clear that local authorities are responsible for making sure a health assessment takes place annually for every child in the social care system. This health assessment includes a strengths and difficulties questionnaire that measures any emotional or behavioural difficulties experienced by the child. This provides an outcomes measure within our data collection for care-experienced children that tracks emotional and behavioural needs at a national level.

Refugees: Albania

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to reports that 39 unaccompanied Albanian refugee children have been reported as missing by Kent County Council, what steps they are taking to locate those children.

Baroness Barran: The government takes the matter of any child going missing very seriously. Statutory guidance is in place, which details the responsibilities of local authorities and their partners, to prevent children going missing and to gather and share information and intelligence to reduce this risk. The guidance applies to all children going missing, whether this is from the family home or from care and includes unaccompanied refugee children.

Mental Health Services: Children in Care

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that children and young people in care can receive mental health assessments and support from specialist practitioners who can tailor support for their particular experiences.

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of barriers for care-experienced children and young people in accessing mental health support.

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to overcome the barriers for care-experienced children and young people in accessing mental health support.

Baroness Barran: The department recognises the importance of securing appropriate support for children who have experienced trauma, which may include children in care, kinship care or who have been adoptedLocal authorities have a statutory duty to promote the welfare of all looked after children. They are responsible for carrying out an annual health assessment for every child in the care system to produce a health plan that addresses the child’s physical, emotional, and mental health needs. This health assessment is reviewed at least annually and is part of a dynamic and continuous cycle of care planning.Foster carers should be involved in drawing up the health plan as part of the overall care plan for their foster children. Foster carers should be supported by named health professionals for looked-after children on how to access services, including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service consultations, that the child needs.For adopted children and children under Special Guardianship orders who were previously in care, the Adoption Support Fund is designed to complement the healthcare system and provide support for those who are suffering trauma and attachment issues. An assessment of need will always be undertaken beforehand, to ensure that the most appropriate support is provided.The healthcare system is of course available to all children, and parents and carers will be able to receive appropriate advice on how to access this, including support for trauma-related issues as appropriate.

Curriculum

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide students under the age of 17with a widerchoice of subjects to study, in order to bring an end to the division in employability between academic and technical education.

Baroness Barran: Up to the age of 16, young people are introduced to a broad and balanced curriculum, which provides music, sport, citizenship, and cultural opportunities.The department reformed GCSEs from 2013 to ensure that they rigorously assess the knowledge pupils have acquired and are in line with expected standards in countries with high performing education systems.The computing curriculum supports pupils to become active creators of digital technology. Programming, algorithms, and the use of information technology are taught to pupils at key stage 3 to provide the foundation for pupils to acquire further knowledge about artificial intelligence, data science, cyber security, and other fields.  In November 2018, the department launched the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE), backed by £84 million of government funding. The NCCE provides high-quality, continuing professional development and resources to teachers of all key stages and engages with schools and colleges across England to improve their computing provision.To ensure a strong pipeline of qualified students into higher education and careers in STEM areas, the department has committed substantial spending on subjects, including science with the aim of increasing take up. This includes funding of programmes such as the Stimulating Physics Network and the Isaac Physics programme which both aim to increase rates of progression to physics A level, a subject which could lead a student into a technical career.Post-16 students are able to specialise, with a range of high quality academic and technical qualifications options. This includes a rigorous suite of A levels, T Levels, and apprenticeships. The content of T Levels is designed in collaboration with employers. Each course includes a 45-day industry placement, so students are equipped with industry related skills. The department is also streamlining and improving the quality of post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Serbia: Sexual Offences

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia in the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Conference; and the impact of the Minister’s attendance on the wellbeing of victims and survivors of conflict-related sexual violence attending the conference.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK invited Foreign Ministers from nearly 100 countries to the PSVI Conference. To address conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), we need to involve a range of states, to share experiences and we put survivor voices front and centre. All survivors were provided with full support, including wellbeing and psychological support, which was available throughout the conference. I also met personally with all survivors, and also directly with FM Gërvalla-Schwarz from Kosovo. They recognised the important role the UK was playing in providing a bridge for survivors to directly address issues with countries with whom they had endured serious conflict in the past.

Myanmar: United Nations

Baroness Cox: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the role of the United Nations Special Envoy on Myanmar.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK supports the UN Special Envoy (UNSE) for Myanmar. It is vital the UNSE is able to fulfil her mandate and engage with all stakeholders, including the democratic opposition. We regularly work with the UNSE, most recently on 30 November by co-chairing a Women, Peace and Security roundtable to amplify the voices of Myanmar Civil Society Organisations.

Burma: Overseas Companies

Baroness Cox: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they are taking to ensure that British accreditation and verification companies operating in Burma are not providing services to Burmese military-owned companies.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Department for International Trade publishes guidance setting out what UK businesses can do, this was last updated in February 2022. The guidance makes it clear the UK businesses should conduct thorough due diligence to avoid inadvertently supporting military-linked businesses in Myanmar.We have a comprehensive arms embargo on Myanmar, as well as multiple targeted sanctions on the military and its associated businesses. We have clear penalties for breaches of sanctions. We will continue to closely monitor how the military finances and equips itself and we will continue to use sanctions as a lever to put pressure on those who support the military.

Syria: Turkey

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of an increase in (1) Turkish airstrikes, and (2) threats of a ground invasion, on northern regions of Syria; and what discussions they have had with the government of Turkey regarding this situation.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK recognises Turkey's legitimate security interests in Syria and Iraq and is closely monitoring the situation. It is important that the risks to civilians and to the security and stability of the region are minimised. FCDO Ministers and senior officials engage with Turkey regularly on issues of regional security. The Foreign Secretary last met Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on 30 November and the Prime Minister spoke to President Erdoğan on 2 December.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what are the key components of their Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) assessment on northern Syria; and what steps they are taking to address the situation.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Syria Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) highlights security and stability issues in north east Syria, although overall the UK ensures interventions take a 'whole of Syria approach'. The UK is focused on reducing risks of instability, securing the long-term defeat of Daesh and providing life-saving and life-sustaining assistance to improve resilience of the local populations. The UK remains committed to supporting the Global Coalition Against Daesh to prevent Daesh resurgence, including in north east Syria.

Iran: Human Rights

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Iran regarding human rights violations against children in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is committed to holding Iran to account for the appalling treatment of children throughout the brutal crackdown of protests. The UK highlighted this issue at the UN Human Right Council on 24 November, at which we supported a successful Resolution to establish a UN investigation into the human rights violations committed by the regime during the protests. The Foreign Secretary also called out Iran's treatment of children alongside his G7 partners at the meeting of Foreign Ministers on 4 November. The UK will continue work with partners at international fora to call on the Iranian authorities to abide by their obligations under international law and to improve the practices surrounding children in detention.

Syria: Turkey

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Turkish shelling of the Yazidi village of Otlja on the Yazidi community; and what steps they are taking to support this community in northern Syria.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We do not hold sufficient evidence to comment on the reported shelling of Otlja. The UK is monitoring developments across northern Syria and working with partners to maintain stability and security in the region and to minimise risks to civilians.

Iraq and Syria: Yazidis

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing to the Yazidi community in Iraq and Syria, including (1) how many projects they are funding, (2) how many people benefit from these projects, and (3) how these projects are helping the Yazidi community under threat in the region.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Since 2012, the UK has committed over £370 million and £3.8 billion in humanitarian and stabilisation assistance in Iraq and Syria respectively to support communities affected by conflict. In Iraq, this includes humanitarian assistance, basic services and reconstruction to support Yazidis communities which suffered immensely through the abhorrent crimes inflicted by Daesh. The UK continues to lobby for the full implementation of the Yazidi Survivors Law in Iraq, which is crucial for securing justice for survivors and to help Yazidi communities rebuild their lives.

Xing Hongwei

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the detention of Xing Hongwei in China.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of reports that author Xing Hongwei has been detained. The FCDO has previously highlighted the detention of Early Rain Covenant Church members and we continue to closely monitor the severe restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in China. More broadly, we regularly raise the human rights situation in China directly with the Chinese authorities at the highest levels. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on 20 September.

Iran: Children

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made ofthe number of children detained in prisons in Iran.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The treatment of juvenile offenders in Iran falls short of international standards. The Iranian judicial system is deeply flawed with frequent and well-documented violations of fair trial rights. The use of death sentences against minors is also a regular occurrence. Because of the lack of transparency of the Iranian judicial system, it is difficult to calculate with accuracy the number of children detained in Iran. In recent months, we have observed a significant increase in the rate at which children are arrested and a disproportionate number who have died during the protests. This was also noted by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on 17 October. The UK will continue to work with partners to hold Iran to account for its actions.

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what are theirpriorities for the OSCE Ministerial Council Annual Meeting in Poland; and what steps they are taking to ensure the OSCE is able to deal with regional security issues and remain relevant in spite of the challenges posed by the war in Ukraine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government's priorities for the OSCE Ministerial Council were to demonstrate strong support for Ukraine and highlight Russia's violations of the OSCE's core principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the non-use of force. In his interventions, the Foreign Secretary also underlined our enduring support for the OSCE as a forum for dialogue, transparency, and confidence-building. We will continue, with like-minded partners, to work closely with the OSCE's leadership to hold Russia to account for its actions, support vulnerable countries in Russia's neighbourhood, and defend the OSCE's unique role in Euro-Atlantic security.

Nagorno-Karabakh: Peace Negotiations

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to remarks made by the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan that the Lachin corridor “is not being used for its intended purpose and this must be stopped”, what assessment they have made of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh; and what steps they have taken to urge restraint by all sides to prevent any new escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government continues to monitor the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Following the closure of the Lachin Corridor the UK Government has urged restraint and the immediate re-opening of the corridor given the significant humanitarian risks. The UK Government also continues to urge both Governments to engage with international negotiation efforts to secure a sustainable and peaceful settlement to the conflict. These are the messages the Minister for Europe reinforced during calls with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers on 15 and 17 September respectively, and subsequently in meetings in London with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Ambassadors and other senior officials from both countries on 12 December and 9 November respectively.

Ministry of Defence

Warships: Procurement

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government, following the announcement that the equipment plan to fund the Type 32 Frigate and Multirole Support Ships programme has been withdrawn, what is the status of that programme.

Baroness Goldie: There are no current plans to withdraw either the Type 32 Frigate or Multi Role Support Ships programme. Both remain in the concept phase, and the programme and procurement strategies will be decided following phase completion. We continue to assess plans and are still working to the intended in-service dates.

Department for Work and Pensions

Air Pollution: Business Premises

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce schemes which rate the indoor air quality of commercial premises and their associated risks of viral transmission.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the regulator for workplace health and safety. Whilst HSE expects businesses to consider any risks arising from the quality of the air in their premises and to ensure they have mitigations in place where, for example, work generates fumes or dust that is harmful to workers this does not extend to general infection control. As such HSE has no plans to introduce any schemes to rate indoor air quality or the risks of viral transmission.

Poverty: Children

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Department for Work and Pensions annual official statistics 'Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2021',what assessmentthey have made of the reasons for the increase in (1) the number of, and (2) the proportion of, children living in relative poverty in every local authority area of the North East between 2014/15 and 2020/21.

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government, furtherto the Department for Work and Pensions official statistics 'Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2021', what assessment they have made of the reasons for the increase in (1) the number of, and (2) the proportion of, children living in absolute poverty in every local authority area of the North East in every year since 2017/18.

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions have taken place between the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on child poverty.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Department for Work and Pensions has made no assessment. Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions engage regularly with their Ministerial counterparts in other Departments, taking a collective approach to the policies and interventions that can make a difference. The Government is committed to reducing child poverty and supporting low-income families. We will spend over £242bn through the welfare system in 2022/23 including £108bn on people of working age. From 10 April 2023 we are uprating State Pension and benefit rates by 10.1%. In order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions the benefit cap will also be increased by 10.1%. These increases are subject to Parliamentary approval.With over 1.22 million job vacancies across the UK, our focus remains firmly on supporting parents to move into, and progress in work, an approach which is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment - particularly where it is full-time - in substantially reducing the risks of child poverty and in improving long-term outcomes for families and children. Getting people both into work and progressing in work is key to levelling up for the whole of the UK, and DWP is playing a central role in this. To help people into work, including parents, our Plan for Jobs is providing broad ranging support for all Jobseekers with our Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP), Job Entry Targeted Support and Restart scheme. We are also extending the support Jobcentres provide to people in work and on low incomes. Through a staged roll-out, which started in April 2022, around 2.1 million low-paid benefit claimants will be eligible for support to progress into higher-paid work. The government is also increasing the National Living Wage by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour from April 2023, representing an increase of over £1,600 to the annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National living wage, benefitting over 2 million low paid workers.

Regional Planning and Development

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the the report by theNorth East Child Poverty Commission report Getting the building blocks wrong: Early childhood poverty in the North East, published on 12 October, whatassessment they have made of the merits of undertaking levelling up impact assessments of all major government policy and spending decisions, including those taken by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: No assessment has been made. However, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has set 12 ambitious levelling up ‘missions’ to anchor ambition and provide clarity over the objectives of public policy for the next decade. These include missions on skills and living standards. Missions will deliver real change to peoples’ lives by improving living standards by spreading opportunities and enhancing economic growth, restoring local pride, spreading opportunity and empowering local leaders across the country. Missions will also serve as an anchor for the private sector and civil society. This policy stability and consistency will unleash innovation, investment and collaboration. To ensure transparency and accountability, the missions are specific and measurable, and are supported by a set of metrics. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will report on progress towards delivering the missions through an annual report laid before Parliament. The obligation to publish the annual report will be established in statute, creating a regular point for Parliament and the public to debate and scrutinise progress towards levelling up.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Marine Environment: International Cooperation

Baroness Parminter: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made regarding the classification and implementation of Other Effective Area-Based Measures; and whether these measures will contribute towards their 30by30 target.

Lord Benyon: HM Government is committed to protecting 30% of land and sea in the UK by 2030 (30by30). We consulted on our approach to 30by30 in the Nature Recovery Green Paper earlier this year and are now working at pace to develop the assessment criteria, in line with international standards, that will inform what land will count towards 30by30. We expect land recognised as Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), meeting our assessment criteria, to play a part in achieving this ambitious commitment. For OECMs to count, we know that they need to be effectively managed and deliver positive outcomes for biodiversity. We continue to explore next steps for identification and classification of OECMs in England.

Water: Pollution

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Benyon on 7 November (HL2422), what were the names of the 63 recipients of enforcement undertaking payments from water and sewerage companies, totalling £11.5 million, paid out between 2017 and 2021.

Lord Benyon: Attached is a list of all charities, groups and organisations that received payments from water companies through use of Enforcement Undertakings (EUs) for the period 2017–2021 inclusive. Please note that some EUs included payment to more than one recipient, which is why the number of recipients is greater than the number of EUs accepted.Water company EU recipients (xlsx, 12.0KB)

Home Office

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Lord Rosser: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of individuals who have died crossing the English Channel to get to the UK in the back of lorries and other vehicles in each month since January 2010.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: These dangerous concealments are facilitated by vile people smugglers, who place profits above the lives of vulnerable people. The Government is determined to prevent further loss of life by breaking the business model. The Home Office has invested significant amounts since 2014 to secure feeder ports, including increasing the use of body detection dogs and strengthening the vehicle screening regimes with the latest technology. The department is currently in the process of significantly strengthening the clandestine entrant civil penalty regime in order further drive improvements in vehicle security. Unfortunately, there have been fatalities, including the Purfleet incident in 2019 when 39 Vietnamese nationals sadly lost their lives, and all such incidents are a reminder that attempts to clandestinely cross the border are inherently dangerous.

Military Attachés: Visas

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government when the current visa of the Myanmar military attaché expires.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: We do not routinely comment on individual cases. All visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with the Immigration Rules.

UK Visas and Immigration

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to implement recommendations from the report by the Chief Inspector of Borders and ImmigrationAn Inspection of UK Visas and Immigration Front End Services (August 2020 – June 2021), published on 25 November 2021.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: All the recommendations from this report have been actioned and are either closed or proposed for closure.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Lord Rosser: To ask His Majesty's Government how many refugees have been admitted under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme; and what assessment they have made of the year long delay in admitting refugees to the UK under Pathway 2 of that scheme.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The recent update to the published 'Afghan Resettlement: Operational Data', shows that, at 4th November 2022:22,833 individuals from Afghanistan have been brought to safety in the UK (since the end of June 2021).We have granted Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) to 6,314 people under ACRS Pathway 1.We are pleased to have welcomed the first families under ACRS Pathway 2. On 24th November the latest Immigration Statistics publication included data on Pathway 2 arrivals and this can be found at: Immigration statistics data tables, year ending September 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)We are working at pace with Local Authorities and other partners to make sure those we resettle are fully supported in accessing the accommodation, health, education, and employment needed to fully integrate into life in the UK.

Repatriation

Lord Rosser: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Murray of Blidworth on 8 November (HL3121), when they expect data to be available on (1) the number of staff supporting the Voluntary Returns Service, (2) the cost of the service, and (3) the number of complaints received by the service.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Home Office does not publish the information sought at the level of granularity required.The Home Office does routinely publish information on the total cost and breakdown of Asylum costs and productivity, and this can be found at table Asy_04 of the Immigration and Protection data.These include the costs of managing asylum operations claims including costs associated with deciding a case, managing any related appeal, asylum operations support, potential detention and enforcement including escorting and voluntary returns. Also included are the costs of department staff and buildings and the proportionate costs of the Home Office building and managerial costs.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government how many people have been accepted and evacuated from Afghanistan under their Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, which opened on 6 January.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will see up to 20,000 people from Afghanistan and the region resettled to the UK over the coming years.As of 4 November 2022, 22,833 people have arrived in the UK from Afghanistan, and we have granted Indefinite Leave to Remain to 12,296 individuals across both the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and ACRS, since they opened in April 2021 and January 2022, respectivelyWork is underway to assure information on caseworking systems relating to all the individuals resettled under the ACRS and relocated under ARAP. Once this work concludes, statistics on both schemes - including the number of people resettled under each - will be included in the published Immigration Statistics.More information on the number of grants of Indefinite Leave to Remain issued to Afghans resettling under the ARAP or ACRS can be viewed at gov.uk

Asylum: Housing

Lord Rosser: To ask His Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers are currently housed in private accommodation; and, for each month in 2021 and 2022, what was the cost of providing this accommodation.

Lord Rosser: To ask His Majesty's Government how areas are chosen to provide accommodation to asylum seekers; and what consideration is given to fair distribution across the country when making these decisions.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The United Kingdom has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and other support whilst their application for asylum is being considered. Private accommodation is sourced through our Asylum Accommodation and Support Services contracts (AASC) providers. The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area. These statistics can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets#asylum-support. Data is published on a quarterly basis, with the latest information published 24 November 2022.Accommodation costs are considered to be commercially confidential, therefore the Home Office does not publish this information. However, total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ho-annual-reports-and-accountsFrom 13 April 2022, all Local Authority areas in England, Scotland and Wales were obliged to participate in a new system of full dispersal accommodation. This will help the Home Office to move from using hotels to less expensive and more suitable dispersed accommodation. The Full Dispersal model allows the Home Office to procure dispersal properties within the private rental sector in all Local Authority areas across England, Scotland and Wales, rather than the minority of Local Authorities which currently participate. This approach will reduce pressures on those Local Authorities that already participate.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Garden Communities: Construction

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask His Majesty's Government whatprogressthey havemade in delivering their policy of creating new garden cities in England; when they expect the builds to be completed; and how many dwellings will be created.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Garden Communities Programme is supporting 47 locally led Garden Communities (12 Garden Towns and 35 Garden Villages) to deliver over 320,000 homes by 2050. The programme has awarded c.£58 million of capacity support funding to assist places in delivering against their proposals, plus c.£12 million funding to help deliver infrastructure to unlock homes. As of December 2021, local authorities report that over 33,000 homes have been completed across 17 projects supported by the programme.As well as homes, we expect the programme to support the delivery of over 200 schools, c.68 health and care centres, almost 200,000 jobs, green infrastructure and over 150 community facilities.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme: Homelessness

Baroness Hamwee: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to supportUkrainian refugees and host families over the Christmas period to ensure that any breakdowns in host relationships under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme do not lead to homelessness.

Baroness Hamwee: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support Ukrainian refugees over the Christmas period to ensure that issues with re-matching under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme do not lead to homelessness.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: We are greatly appreciative of the overwhelming generosity shown by sponsors in accommodating guests under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. The Government has been working closely with local councils, voluntary and community organisations to ensure sponsors and their guests can access the support they need from public services.   We have developed advice on hosting and provide training courses to help sponsors welcome and host their guests which can be accessed (attached) here: www.gov.uk/guidance/sources-of-support-for-sponsors-hosting-people-from-ukraineSponsors hosting people from Ukraine (pdf, 215.9KB)

Parking: Fees and Charges

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with councils across England about waiving or reducing car parking charges in the run up to Christmas in order to assist businesses in town centres.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Government recognises the important link between parking provision and the vitality of our high streets and town centres. However, in line with the Government's position on localism, management of parking facilities is the responsibility of local authorities, and it is for them to determine what is appropriate in their own area, including setting of parking tariffs.

Help to Buy Scheme

Lord Naseby: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps theywill take to support first-time buyers of houses once the current Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme finishes on 31 January 2023.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Government is committed to helping first time buyers to get on the housing ladder. We operate a range of other government schemes including First Homes, Shared Ownership and the Lifetime ISA and we continually keep options to support first-time buyers under consideration.

Regional Planning and Development: Public Appointments

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask His Majesty's Government what duties they expect regional Levelling Up Directors, when appointed, to fulfil.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask His Majesty's Government what role, if any, regional Levelling Up Directors will have in awarding funding; and to whom will they be accountable for this function.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask His Majesty's Government which stakeholder groups regional Levelling Up Directors will be expected to work with in each region.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask His Majesty's Government whether regional Levelling Up Directors will be (1) budget holders, (2) responsible for the work of junior staff, and (3) line mangers to junior staff.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Government is committed to delivering levelling up outcomes in the best way possible. Further announcements will be made in due course.

Private Rented Housing

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of the demand and supply problem in the private rented sector; and if they have not conducted such an assessment, what plans they have to do so.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The English Housing Survey provides information on households and housing stock. The proportion of Private Rented Sector (PRS) households has remained relatively stable for nearly a decade. The PRS was 19% of households in 2013-14 and continues to be at 19% according to the latest data for 2022, collected during the pandemic.The Department continues to monitor private rent levels using the Office for National Statistics' Index of Private Rents as an indicator of demand. This data shows that Private rental prices paid by tenants in the UK increased by 4.0% in the 12 months to November 2022.

Cabinet Office

Government Departments: Procurement

Lord Leong: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of their commitment to pay (1) 90 per cent of undisputed and valid invoices from SMEs within five days, and (2) 100 per cent of all undisputed and valid invoices within 30 days, as part of their Prompt Payment Policy.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: (1) In terms of the 90% of undisputed and valid invoices from SMEs within 5 days target: at the end of the previous financial year, 13 of 16 departments were exceeding 85% payment of all invoices within 5 days, with 7 departments paying over 90% of all invoices within this time period. (2) In terms of the 100% of valid and undisputed invoices being paid in 30 days target: as of the same date, 14 of 16 departments were paying in excess of 95% of their invoices within 30 days, with 6 of these exceeding 99%. This information is published quarterly on GOV.UK. Cabinet Office works with departments to improve payment performance. In addition, the Procurement Bill will ensure that 30 day payment terms are included in government supply chain contracts.

Life Peers

Lord Grocott: To ask His Majesty's Government how many life peers have been appointed on the advice of the former Prime Minster, Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP; and how these appointments were distributed between the following parliamentary groupings: (1) Conservative, (2) Labour, (3) Liberal Democrat, and (4) the Crossbenches.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Publicly available information shows that 87 peerages have been created on the advice of Rt Hon Boris Johnson. 44 of these were Conservative, 13 were Labour and 19 were Crossbench. Ultimately it is for the Prime Minister to recommend to the Sovereign which individuals ought to be appointed to the House of Lords.

Privy Council

Lord Lexden: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment theyhave made of the reasons for the increase in the size of the Privy Council in recent years.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Appointments to the Privy Council are made by His Majesty The King on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Appointment to the Privy Council is for life. Those appointed comprise Ministers, other parliamentarians and members of the judiciary. Only serving Government ministers have a role in advising on Privy Council matters. Therefore the majority of Counsellors play no part in the Privy Council’s day-to-day business.

Treasury

Marriage: Tax Allowances

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the marriage tax allowance.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of theeffectiveness of the current rate of marriage tax allowance in supporting couples financially.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government whatfinancial assistance they are providing to couples who (1) are getting married, or (2) have recently married.

Lord Harlech: The Marriage Allowance (MA) is designed to recognise marriage, and the commitment it entails, in the tax system. The MA is targeted at married couples and civil partners where one partner earns below the Personal Allowance (PA) and the other is a basic rate taxpayer. In 2022-23 the MA is £1,260 and is worth up to £252 per year. The transferable amount has been fixed at 10 per cent of the Personal Allowance since it was introduced in 2015. Setting the value of the allowance considerably higher would increase the cost and the Government must ensure the tax system supports strong public finances. Even with the decision to maintain the current level of the Personal Allowance and consequently the current level of the MA, the PA has increased by over 40 per cent in real terms since 2010, ensuring some of the lowest earners do not pay income tax. Thanks to the PA, in 2021-22 around 30% of earners didn’t pay tax. The Government understands that people are worried about the cost of living challenges ahead. That’s why decisive action has been taken to support households across the UK through cost of living challenges ahead, whilst remaining fiscally responsible. The Government has announced further support for next year designed to target the most vulnerable households. This cost of living support is worth £26 billion in 2023-24, in addition to benefits uprating, which is worth £11 billion to working age households and people with disabilities.

Help to Save Scheme: Universal Credit

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact ofexpanding the Help to Save scheme to all Universal Credit claimants and broadening points of access to include credit unions and other providers of low-cost credit.

Lord Harlech: Help to Save aims to support individuals to kickstart a regular, long-term savings habit and build a rainy-day savings fund by providing a generous government bonus on savings over four years. The scheme’s eligibility criteria target working individuals in low-income households, who may be able to save a small amount each month due to their employment or self-employment income. Individuals are eligible to open a Help to Save account if they are: receiving Working Tax Credit; receiving Child Tax Credit and are entitled to Working Tax Credit; or receiving Universal Credit and had take-home pay of £658.64 or more in their last monthly assessment period. As the scheme is targeted towards working individuals, the Government has no current plans to broaden the scheme’s eligibility criteria. Help to Save is currently delivered by NS&I on behalf of HMRC. This delivery model provides national coverage with a single provider, maintaining simplicity for scheme participants and providing a single point of entry to the scheme. The Government has no current plans to alter this delivery mechanism to allow credit unions or other providers of low-cost credit to offer Help to Save.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Social Media: Age

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government whatplans they have, if any, to introduce a requirement for age blocks for social media sites.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The strongest protections in the Online Safety Bill are for children.We expect companies operating sites likely to be accessed by children to use age verification technologies and measures such age assurance to ensure that only children who are old enough are able to access an age-restricted service. The Government also recently announced that it will make changes to the Bill to require services with age restrictions to explain, in their terms of service, the measures they use to enforce these, such as the use of age assurance or age verification technologies, and apply these terms consistently. This means that social media sites and other platforms are held to account for what they say in their terms of service, but will not mandate sites to have a minimum age restriction. Such a requirement could have a negative impact on the ability of children to access appropriate online services and to derive benefit from them.

Lighting: Natural Gas

Lord Inglewood: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to retain gas lamps on (1) their own, and (2) other publicly-owned, land.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Royal Parks, a public corporation and independent charity, is contracted by DCMS to manage the Royal parks, which are Crown land for which management responsibility rests with His Majesty’s Government. There are approximately 360 gas lamps within the sites which The Royal Parks manages, of which approximately 215 are listed. There is no programme currently in place to switch existing gas lamps to electricity, but such matters are kept under review. My Department is not aware of any other gas lamps within our own estate.